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RAFALE-M: Indian Navy will get 26 Rafale-M fighter aircraft from France. Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi said that by 2029, four aircraft will be handed over to the Navy in the first batch. These aircraft have been specially designed for the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and will strengthen security in the Indian Ocean.
RAFALE M: Another big step has been added to the strength of the Indian Navy. Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi said that the first batch of 26 Rafale-M being purchased from France will be handed over to the Navy by the end of 2029. This announcement was made in a press conference just before Navy Day, where Admiral Tripathi emphasized on the growing capabilities of the Navy.
According to Admiral Tripathi, delivery under the Rafale-M deal will start four years after the signing of the contract. This deal is worth about Rs 60,000 crore, which includes 26 aircraft. These are mostly single-seater, but there are four twin-seater trainer variants. These aircraft have been specially designed for the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which will strengthen the carrier-based operations of the Navy.
Rafale-M will make maritime security effective
This agreement was finalized earlier this year. It was approved by the Defense Ministry in July 2023 and the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) was signed with France in April 2025. Admiral Tripathi said that the deal is now one step away from the final approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and with it being done at the government level, it will be completed soon.
The Navy Chief said that Rafale-M will give new heights to the capabilities of the Navy, especially amid the increasing threats in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). He also mentioned that this purchase will play an important role in keeping an eye on the naval activities of China and Pakistan.
Navy ready to deal with threats
This development will prove to be a milestone for the Navy, because Rafale-M is different from the Rafale jets of the Air Force. It has special features for carrier operations such as strengthened landing gear and arrested landing system. The entire fleet will arrive by 2031, which will act as a bridge to the arrival of the indigenous Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) under India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. Admiral Tripathi confirmed that the Navy is ready to deal with all threats.
Rafale M specifications
